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(No Model.)

G. W. HOAR.

GAME;

Patented Dec. 12, 1882.

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ings.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE W. HOAR, OF FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS.

GAME.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 268,895, dated December 12, 1882.

I Application filed September 22, 1882. (No model.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, GEORGE W. Home, of Fall River, in the county of Bristol, in the State of Massachusetts, have invented a new Improvement in Game Apparatus; and I declare the following to be a specification thereof, reference being had to theaccompanying draw- Like letters indicate like parts.

Figure l is a ground plan of the lay-out of the game. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of one of the bell-hoops. Figs. 3 and 4 respectively represent the scoop and ball used in playing the game. Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the goal and accompanying hoop, as seen from line so aof Fig. 1.

My invention is a lawn-game, which I call bell-cross.

It consists of a series of hoops set at intervals in the ground,and-havingbells suspended therein, through which'hoops each player tosses a ball, by means of a scoop or bat, until he has passed in this manner all of the hell-hoops in a certain order, ringing each bell in succession,

and then finishes the game by tossing his ball in the same manner through another hoop and striking therewith an explosive cap, which is afiixed to the goal.

In the drawings, A represents the field or the exterior bounds as laid out upon the lawn.

The bell-hoops B are made preferably of wire, bent, as shown in'Fig. 2, in the shape of a ring and standard. A hell, 0, is freely suspended in the center of said ring or hoop.

Near the bottom of the standard is a circa lar disk or plate, D, which serves to hold the bell-hoop from lateral displacement. I drive the end of the standard into the ground until said disk rests upon the surface. I use eight of the bell-hoops B, and set them at intervals in the relative positions designated in Fig. l. A stake, E, is placed to locate the startingpoint. A hoop, F, having a stem and disk like the hoops B, but having no bell, is set as shown in Figs. 1 and 5. An upright post, Gr, set as shown, serves as the goal, and has atfixed to the front thereof an explosive cap, H, filled with any suitable fulminating or detonating substance.

The game is laid out upon the ground in such dimensions as may be convenient; but the foln, two feet; j to n, five feet eight inches. All i the hoops are set transversely, fronting the stake E, except the two hoops B and B", which are set at right angles to the other hoops.

The game is played by any desired number of'persons, the order of whose playing is determined by the chosen color of a series of different-colored stripes upon the stake Fl. Each player is provided with a hat, I, and a ball, J, bearing a stripe or mark of the chosen color. The hat I has a long handle, of wood, '1 and terminates with a ring of wire, within which is loosely fitted a very shallow scoop, z, of leather or other suitable material. Balls J, preferably of wood, are used inthe game, each bearing a color corresponding to that of its hat I.

The game proceeds as follows: The player first in order, taking his position at the stake E, rests the bottom of his scoop upon the ground and places therein his ball. By means of the scoop he then proceeds, until failure, to toss his ball through the hoops and ring the bells therein, passing consecutively, as indicated by dotted lines in Fig. 1, through hoops B, B B B B B B B and F to the goal G. Whenever he fails to toss through the hoop next in his course and to ring the bell therein with his bail in passing through he ceases his play until his turn comes again, when he resumes his progress in the course already indicated from whatever position his ball may then be in. If in tossing the ball it 4 strikes in its descent the ball of another player, 0

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first accomplishes this feat is the winner of the game.

It is evident that skill is required to toss the balls through the hoops and ring each bell in passing, especiallyas there is a temptation to so toss the ball that it will light upon the ball of an opponent; and a much greater degree of skill is required to bring the game to a close by hitting the cap with the ball, for while a player who has passed allthe hoops B far in advance of his competitors is vainly endeavoring to explode the cap, another player more fortunate than he may overtake him, and by greater skill may strike the cap and snatch away the victory.

This game, set out as described, is a fine ornament to a lawn, and furnishes healthful exercise and excitement. To successfully toss the ball requires skill in calculating the direction and degree of force necessary to impart to the ball, and a nicety of manual execution. The tinkling of the bells is an attractive feature, and the gameincreases in interest to the culmination, when the cap is exploded, giving to the whole proceeding a certain snap of enthusiasm.

It is obvious that an amusing game can be played with the scoops, balls, and bell-hoops B, arranged in a different manner, without the feature of the explosive cap, and also that the scoops, balls, hoop F, and a cap, H, affixed to a stake, would constitute an interesting game.

It is obvious that various modifications may be made in the game without departing from my invention, the hoops being arranged in different ways, as desired. The game may also be arranged to be played indoors by providing a field composed of a suitable board, to which the other parts of the apparatus may be attached.

I claim as a novel and useful invention and desire to secure by Letters Patent' 1. In a game apparatus, the hoop B, having a bell,G,suspende'd therein, and provided with a standard having a disk, D, substantially as described.

2. In a game apparatus,the goal Gr,provided with an explosive cap, H, substantially as described.

3. In a gameapparatus, a hoop anditsstandard formed from one piece of wire bent into the required form, substantially as shown and described.

4. A game apparatus consisting of the field A, a numberof hoops, B, having suitable standards, and provided with bells O, the startingpost E, goal Gr, explosive cap H, hoop F, balls J, and bats I, all substantially as shown and described.

GEORGE W. HOAR.

A Witnesses:

GEORGE F. RAY, SIERRA L. BRALEY. 

